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Synonyms

adviser

American  
[ad-vahy-zer] / ædˈvaɪ zər /
Or advisor

noun

  1. one who gives advice.

  2. Education. a teacher responsible for advising students on academic matters.

  3. a fortuneteller.

adviser British  
/ ədˈvaɪzə /

noun

  1. a person who advises

  2. education a person responsible for advising students on academic matters, career guidance, etc

  3. education a subject specialist who advises heads of schools on current teaching methods and facilities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of adviser

First recorded in 1605–15; advise + -er 1

Explanation

If you're an expert who gives advice or offers professional consultations, you can call yourself an adviser. You can have an adviser in many areas — he or she may also be called a consultant. A person who helps you decide what classes to take is called an academic adviser. You may also have a tax adviser to help during an audit or a career adviser to help plan your next steps after college. Whoever you take advice from, be advised that this word is sometimes spelled advisor.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Welcoming the deal, Dr Hafiz Ibrahim Ahmad, Special Adviser on Power and Energy, Katsina State, said it was now "home to the only distributed AI data centre of its kind anywhere on the African continent".

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Then-National Security Adviser John Bolton and other top aides managed to soft-pedal the decision, leaving a residual force in the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Seoul has denied any involvement but has left open the possibility that civilians may have flown the drone, a position reiterated by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac on Wednesday.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

You can search the backgrounds of registered investment advisers and their firms with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database, which will provide you with any disciplinary actions against them.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy was eating breakfast in the White House when an aide ran in with the text of Khrushchev’s announcement.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.